Weird-shaped notebooks make me want to write again 

Andru Marino is an audio and video producer at The Verge. “I make videos on our YouTube / TikTok / Instagram channels, and have produced our podcasts like Vergecast, Decoder, and Why’d You Push That Button?” He also keeps a lot of notes, and his latest favorite places to keep them are the Triangle and Sidekick notebooks. I asked him about them.

Where did you first hear about these notebooks?

I don’t really remember when I first saw the Triangle Notebook. It was probably an Instagram ad. I had kept a link to the notebook’s website in a browser tab on my phone for a few months and kept thinking about it.

When did you buy it, and what went into the decision?

I bought it in April, and what really attracted me was how weird it was. Why does the notebook need to be a triangle? Oh, it opens up into a square! Wow, I love that! The main reason I use paper is to doodle, and I thought this shape would inspire me to doodle differently.

And then I saw this company also made another notebook called the Sidekick that basically looks like an L when opened, so it is angled alongside your computer keyboard. That was so wacky to me. So I bought that one too.

What do you like about them?

This seems more like an art experiment than anything. I love objects that make you rethink how they are used. I typically have Post-it notes or a spiral notebook on my desk so I can write something down or doodle during a meeting. The Sidekick doesn’t take up a ton of space on my desk either opened or closed.

The Triangle Notebook is actually great for using on your lap or other unconventional surfaces, as it is pretty sturdy and lays flat on its spine.

Both notebooks also encourage me to use my handwriting more, which was a New Year’s resolution I had.

Is there anything about them that you dislike, or that you think could be improved?

I am not entirely sure if it makes sense to take notes on an L-shaped piece of paper, but that is just what makes the Sidekick different.

The Triangle Notebook could have a few more pages in it. It is nicely bound and sort of expensive ($33), so I would like to get more use out of it. Also it is so long! I don’t know where to store it.

And the pages don’t tear out very easily. I’d love to give someone a note on a weird-shaped piece of paper.

Who would you recommend it to?

I’d recommend the Sidekick to an artist who wants to doodle during meetings — which is why I bought this. But I can also see it working for someone who draws on a tablet and wants to briefly write down some notes about what they are working on.

I don’t know who I would recommend the Triangle Notebook to besides someone who likes weird objects. I’d love to know if someone feels like they do their best work on a triangle-shaped notebook.

You started this by saying you hoped these notebooks would inspire you to doodle differently. Have they?

So far, no. My notes look the same mess as ever, but it has encouraged me to doodle more and write more, so that makes me happy.